Department for Transport

Railways: Construction

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many single track kilometres of main line railway were opened to traffic in 2021.

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many single track kilometres of main line railway are planned to be open in 2022.

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many single track kilometres of main line railway have been approved for completion in 2023 and beyond; and where are these railways located.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government is continuing to invest at record levels in rail enhancements across England and Wales with increased budgets from 2022-23 to 2024-25, and a renewed focus on the Midlands and the North, to grow and level up the economy and provide equality of opportunity as we build back better. 22.5km of railway were re-opened to traffic in 2021 under the Dartmoor Line scheme, the first reopening under the Restoring Your Railway manifesto commitment. 46.5km of railway are planned to be opened in 2022; including 42km in tunnel under the Crossrail / Elizabeth Line scheme, and 4.5km under the Extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking Line to Barking Riverside scheme. 347km of railway have been approved for completion in 2023 and beyond. This includes 225km for Phase One (London to Birmingham) and 60km for Phase 2a (Birmingham to Crewe) under the HS2 scheme; and 62km for Stage One of the East West Rail Connection, to extend the existing Oxford to Bicester line to Bletchley. We will also reinstate many more kilometres of track in future through the Restoring Your Railway Fund.

Driving Licences: Applications

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports of delays by the DVLA in processing paper licence applications, what guidance they are providing to drivers who need to obtain their UK driving licence for the purpose of hiring a car abroad.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The quickest and easiest way to apply for a driving licence is by using the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online service. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their licence within a few days. However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found on GOV.UK. Applications where the driver has a medical condition that must be investigated before a licence can be issued will take longer.  The majority of those renewing their licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed providing they can meet the criteria outlined on GOV.UK. Drivers travelling abroad are advised to check with the relevant licensing authority before they travel. Where a driver has valid entitlement to drive, they can share their driving licence information with car hire companies by obtaining a share driving licence code up to 21 days before travel. Further information can be found on GOV.UK.

Roads: Finance

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the budgets allocated for (1) building new roads, and (2) improving existing highways, have been underspent in the current financial year; and if so, to what amounts.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The final spend for 2021-22 on the strategic road network will be confirmed in National Highways’ Annual Report and Accounts later this year. There is no projected underspend in DfT’s 2021-22 budgets for Local Authority road enhancement schemes.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Bounce Back Loan Scheme

Baroness Buscombe: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much HM Treasury has paid out to Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBL) lending banks under thestate guarantee up to 31 January 2022; and what percentage of this figure was attributed to losses from fraud.

Lord Callanan: As of the end of December 2021, the British Business Bank, on behalf of government, has settled guarantee claims by lenders in relation to the Bounce Back Loan Scheme of £70m. Of this, less than 20% was flagged by lenders as suspected fraud. Figures for January 2022 are currently not available.

Department of Health and Social Care

Genetics: Health Services

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to deliver (1) training, and (2) education, to the NHS clinical workforce to support the use of (a) genomic medicines, and (b) interpretation of genomic data, in clinical decision-making.

Lord Kamall: Health Education England’s (HEE) Genomic Education Programme (GEP) is developing a range of resources to meet a variety of learning needs. This includes proactive learning tools covering the use of genomics in the diagnosis and management of patients and the interpretation of genomic data. A range of education and training is available from ‘bitesize’ learning courses to a level seven Masters in Genomic Medicine. The GEP is also developing GeNotes, which will provide education and training to clinicians at the point of patient care, guiding the use of the National Genomics Test Directory and the interpretation of genomic results. GeNotes will be available across specialties and developed for all professions. HEE expects to launch the first phase of this resource for the oncology speciality by 1 April 2022.

Medical Treatments: Innovation

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the decision by NICE to change the way medicines and other health technologies are evaluated for use in the NHS, what steps they will take to develop a definition of innovation which differentiates transformative technologies, together with the consultative process that will achieve this.

Lord Kamall: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has embedded relevant considerations for innovative technologies throughout its health technology evaluations. NICE has not defined innovation in its updated methods and processes manual for health technology assessments. However, NICE will work with other partners from the Accelerated Access Collaborative to develop a definition of ‘disruptive technologies’. NICE keeps its methods and processes under review and will consult with stakeholders on any proposed changes.

Coronavirus: Screening

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to continue to provide free lateral flow tests to people who are clinically extremely vulnerable so that this group can benefit from COVID-19 antiviral therapies within the necessary period for such therapies.

Lord Kamall: From 1 April 2022, there will be some limited symptomatic testing available for a small number of at-risk groups. We will provide further details on eligible groups in due course.

Medical Treatments: Innovation

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the recent decision by NICE to change the way medicines and other health technologies are evaluated for use in the NHS, how "sufficient evidence" will be defined recognising that in respect of early-stage development and “true” innovation, there may be no comparator for evidential purpose.

Lord Kamall: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) updated health technology evaluation manual sets out how different types of evidence will be used to inform the evaluation and how comparators will be identified. The potential comparators used in each evaluation are set out in a scope developed through consultation with stakeholders. Decisions on the most appropriate comparator used to make recommendations are taken by expert committees guided by established practice in the National Health Service.A copy of NICE health technology evaluations: the manual is attached.NICE HEALTH (pdf, 819.2KB)

Evusheld

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much Evusheld monoclonal antibody treatment they have secured; and when this treatment will be available to the clinically vulnerable in the UK.

Lord Kamall: Evusheld is not currently authorised for use in the United Kingdom. We continue to monitor a range of products, including Evusheld. However, we are unable to provide information on negotiations with companies as this is commercially sensitive.On 5 October 2021, the Department invited suppliers to submit an expression of interest on neutralising antibody treatments being developed for treating and preventing COVID-19. This will enable the Department to undertake fair and transparent market engagement with suppliers.

Genetics: Health Services

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the variations in turnaround times and tissue sample requirements across the seven Genomic Laboratory Hubs in England.

Lord Kamall: NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs’ (GLHs) performance is monitored quarterly through an assurance framework, which ensures all GLHs are operating to national quality standards. This identifies and minimises any potential variability in the delivery of genomic testing. NHS England and NHS Improvement are collating data on testing activity to support service improvements.

Medical Treatments: Innovation

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the recent decision by NICE to change the way medicines and other health technologies are evaluated for use in the NHS, how they will ensure fast-tracking any true innovation is supported by the NICE MedTech Innovation Briefing (MIB) or other "sufficient evidence" into the relevant concurrent NHS Supply Chain Framework agreement, in order to facilitate the opportunity and time to enable the gathering of "sufficient evidence".

Lord Kamall: The Medtech Funding Mandate was introduced in April 2021 to support the use of clinically effective and cost-saving medical devices, diagnostics and digital technologies that have been recommended through the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) medical technologies or diagnostics guidance. NHS Supply Chain is the agreed route for the first four products selected by NHS England and NHS Improvement to be funded in 2021/22.NICE’s Medtech innovation briefings are designed to support National Health Service and social care commissioners and staff considering using new medical devices and other medical or diagnostic technologies. The briefings do not constitute NICE guidance but are designed to be fast, flexible and responsive to the need for information on innovative technologies.

Disability: Health Services

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help disabled children and their families to access(1) therapies, (2) assessments, (3) medical interventions and (4) specialist equipment, in circumstances where they cannot afford them and do not receive adequate support from community services.

Lord Kamall: The NHS Constitution states that access to NHS services is based on clinical need, not an individual’s ability to pay. These services, including those for disabled children, are free of charge, except in limited circumstances sanctioned by Parliament.NHS England and NHS Improvement published Community services prioritisation framework on 11 January 2022. This sets an expectation that community health services, including therapy services and the provision of wheelchairs, orthotics, prosthetics and equipment for children and young people which have been delayed or paused as a result of COVID-19, should resume from 1 March 2022. A copy of the framework is attached. Additionally, 2022/23 priorities and operational planning guidance, published in December 2021, includes a requirement for systems to develop and agree a plan for reducing community service waiting lists. A copy of the planning guidance is attached.On 1 February 2022, we announced more than £45 million of continued targeted support for families and parents of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) over the next three years. This will focus on improving the delivery and monitoring of statutory SEND services by local authorities, health and care partners and improving access to high quality advice and support for parents, children, and young people.2022/23 priorities and operational planning guidan (pdf, 319.5KB)Community services prioritisation framework (pdf, 208.0KB)

Diabetes: Medical Equipment

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that Type 1 diabetics who would benefit from insulin pumps and glucose monitoring devices have access to thesethrough the NHS.

Lord Kamall: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends insulin pump therapy as an option for adults and children over the age of 12 years old with type 1 diabetes, provided that multiple-daily insulin therapy has already been tried to address specific problems related to glucose control. It also recommends that insulin pump therapy can be used for children younger than 12 years old with type 1 diabetes, provided specific criteria are met. Clinical commissioning groups are required to fund technologies recommended by NICE in its guidance.

Influenza: Vaccination

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what fundingthey have allocated to support the expansion of the free seasonal flu vaccination among 50–64 year olds that are not in a clinical risk group for the 2022/23 season.

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment it has made of the potential merits of permanently expanding the free seasonal flu vaccination among 50–64 year olds that are not in a clinical risk group, beyond the 2022/23 flu season.

Lord Kamall: No decisions have yet been made in relation to whether the scope of the 2022/23 flu programme will include 50 to 64 year olds not in a clinical risk group and no formal assessment has been made of the permanent expansion of the programme to this cohort. However, the Department will continue to consider the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI follows the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s methodology and criteria to assess whether a vaccine programme can be considered to be cost effective.